I had an Italian friend who once shared a fable with me. Iíd like to share it with you ... Once upon a time, there was a snake who lived among the fall leaves, rocks and grasses in a large field by a river.

As a beer judge, I think a lot about taste, smell and the sensations we experience when enjoying food and drink. As I prepare to judge at the Great American Beer Festival, I am focused, even more intensely, on sensory perception and the factors that can change it.

In its thirty-third year, the Great American Beer Festival opens a window into the nationís ever-growing craft beer community, providing experiences in food and drink that expand the overall quality of life for those who experience it each year.

When Jess Streeter won the 2014 Philly Beer Geek Championship on June 5th, she felt like explosions were going off in her head. The time and place suddenly took on a surreal quality, as if she was transformed into another dimension.

As the Beer Fox and co- founder of the Philly Beer Geek Championship, I have the annual task of interviewing the stars of the Philly Beer Scene. In this interview, Jess Streeter, Philly Beer Geek 2014, reveals her innermost thoughts about the competition process.